Abstract: The Wadie P. Deddeh Papers consist of 11.5 cubic feet of records reflecting Deddeh's activities during his 26-year career
in the Assembly and Senate. The records contain Bill Files, 1973-1993 and Subject Files, 1967-1976.

Physical location: California State Archives

Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English

Administrative Information

Access

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication
is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility
for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives
collections.

The California State Archives acquired the Wadie P. Deddeh Papers following his final term in the State Legislature.

Biography

Wadie P. Deddeh, Democrat, was a California Assembly Member from 1967-1983 and State Senator from 1983-1993. In 1966, Deddeh
became the first Iraqi-born American elected to office anywhere in the United States.

Deddeh attended the University of Baghdad and received a B.A. in Literature in 1946. After immigrating to the United States
in 1948, he received a Master's Degree in Political Science in 1956 from the University of Detroit. In 1982, Deddeh received
an Honorary Doctorate Degree from National University. Deddeh became a naturalized citizen in 1953 and worked variously as
a grocery store clerk and owner, teacher of Arabic at the Army Language School at Monterey, California, and civics teacher
at Sweetwater High School. Before being elected to office, Deddeh was Chair and Professor of the Southwestern College Department
of Political Science.

Deddeh married Mary-Lynn Drake, a drama and speech coach at Hilltop Junior High School in Chula Vista, California. The Deddehs
have one son, Peter.

Elected to the 77th Assembly District in 1966, Deddeh served for 16 years in the Assembly before successfully running for
the 40th Senate District in 1982. During Deddeh's tenure in the Assembly, the 77th District extended from La Mesa on the
north to the Mexican border on the south. Communities in the 40th District during Deddeh's tenure in the Senate include Balboa
Park, Bonita, Chula Vista, Encanto, Harbor Island, Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove, National City, San Diego, San Ysidro, Spring
Valley, Castle Park, Harbor Side, La Presa, Lincoln Acres, Otay Mesa, Rancho del Otay, and Sunnyside. In 1986, Deddeh was
interviewed by the Reagan White House for an ambassadorship to Iraq, but was not appointed.

According to the California Legislature at Sacramento (Handbooks) and the Assembly Final History, Deddeh served on the following
Assembly committees:

State Assembly, 1967-1983

Standing and Interim Committees

Finance and Insurance, 1971-1974

*Chair, 1973-1974

Finance, Insurance and Commerce, 1981-1982

Employment and Public Employees, 1971-1972

Government Administration, 1970

Governmental Organization, 1981-1982

Municipal and County Government, 1967-1970

*Vice Chair, 1967-1968

Public Employees and Retirement, 1969-1980

*Chair 1969-1978

Revenue and Taxation, 1967-1982

*Chair 1979-1982

Transportation and Commerce, 1967-1982

*Chair 1969-1972

Urban Affairs and Housing, 1969-1970

Subcommittees

Administration of the Personal Income Tax and Bank Corporation Taxes, 1977-1978

Air Quality, 1979-1980

Corporate Taxes, 1977-1978

Retirement, 1977-1978

Transit, 1975-1978

Unemployment-Disability Insurance, 1981-1982

Workers Compensation, 1981-1982

Select Committees (General Research Committees)

Mass Transit, 1979-1980

San Diego Foster Care Programs, 1973-1974

Medical Malpractice, 1970-1974

Joint Committees

Economic Conversion, 1968-1970

School Finance, 1972

Commissions, Committees, Boards, and Task Forces

Commission of the Californias, 1967-1982

State Highway Users Tax Study Commission, 1972

State Transportation Board, 1971-1972

State School Building Finance Committee, 1968-1980

According to the California Legislature at Sacramento (Handbooks) and the Senate Final History, Deddeh served on the following
Senate committees:

State Senate, 1983-1993

Standing and Interim Committees

Appropriations, 1985-1990

Banking and Commerce, 1985-1988, 1993

*Chair, 1993

Budget and Fiscal Review, 1991-1992

Commerce and International Trade, 1991-1992

*Chair, 1991-1992

Education, 1983-1993

Health and Human Services, 1989-1993

Housing and Urban, 1983-1984

Insurance, Claims and Corporations, 1983-1990, 1993

*Vice Chair, 1983-1986

Public Employment and Retirement, 1983-1984

*Chair, 1983-1984

Revenue and Taxation, 1983-1986, 1989-1992

*Chair, 1989-1992

Transportation, 1983-1990

*Chair, 1985-1986

Veterans Affairs, 1989-1993

Select Committees (General Research Committees)

Border Issues, Drug Trafficking, and Contraband, 1987-1992

*Chair, 1987-1992

Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 1985-1986

Pacific Rim, 1985-1992

Planning for California's Growth, 1985-1992

Substance Abuse, 1987-1990

Tourism and Aviation, 1989-1990

*Chair, 1989-1990

Subcommittees

Education Reform, 1983-1990

*Chairman, 1983-1990

Special Committees

Border Issues, 1991-1992

Joint Committees

Legislative Retirement Committee, 1983-1992

Organized Crime and Gang Violence, 1987-1992

*Chair, 1987-1992

Public Pension Fund Investments, 1985-1992

Additional Committees

Committee on Executive Salaries, 1983-1984

Study Team on Judges' Retirement System, 1983-1984

Scope and Content

The Wadie P. Deddeh Papers consist of 11.5 cubic feet of records reflecting Deddeh's activities during his 26-year career
in the Assembly and Senate. The records contain Bill Files, 1973-1993 and Subject Files, 1967-1976.

The bill files document Deddeh's legislative activity during his tenure as a member of the California State Legislature.
While the bills introduced by Wadie Deddeh include a wide array of subjects, Deddeh's primary concerns included border issues,
education, public employees and retirement, tax policy, and transportation. The subject files provide further detail on Deddeh's
work regarding education, energy, environmental regulation and pollution, finance, Mexican-American affairs, tax policy, and
transportation.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.